Blood of my Blood
by HHH'sunforgettableprincess
Summary: Picking up from where we left off, this story is the continuation of what happened towards the end of the movie. Vlad meets Mina and vows to make her fall in love with him. Theirs is a love that was once destroyed by Vlad's curse, but in this day and age, will it still be strong enough to withstand their dark past to give way to a radiant future together?
1. The Whisper of Eternity

CHAPTER 1: The Whisper of Eternity

"Beautiful."

Mina looked up from the bundle of dark crimson roses, for which she used her charm and impressive haggling skills to buy from the vendor for just three pounds a dozen, to the dark rugged figure standing in front of her. His steely gaze was too powerful to ignore, and his breathtaking smile was just too much for her to bear. This tall, mysterious but terribly handsome man was surely an unexpected sight on this cold gloomy day in London. Mina blinked at him, not sure exactly what he meant with that comment of his. A very bold man, this one.

The dark one cleared his throat and opened his mouth once again. Once again, Mina found herself mesmerized, this time, by that cool husky voice of his.

"The flowers, milady." He added, once again followed by a smile that left Mina breathless.

"Milady." Mina repeated, amused by the term he used to call her. She couldn't stop herself from asking where he came from. He looked too tall, too rugged, too handsome to be considered as a typical Englishman. And, judging from the way he dressed, the manner in which he carried himself, he looked like he just came out of a story book. He seemed to be… of noble blood. That possibility became even more plausible when he said that he came from a faraway place.

Mina nodded, slightly satisfied with his answer. _Time to go_. She didn't want to waste her time and his on such trivialities. After all, her mother taught her not to talk to strangers. And this dark one was a stranger. A tall, rugged, handsome and aristocratic stranger at that.

"Well, good night." Mina walked past him, catching a whiff of his spicy cologne. It was a sexy, very masculine fragrance, and even the fragrance of the roses weren't able to mask his scent. It was intoxicating.

"_'__Why think separately of this life and the next, when one is born from the last…'_" The dark one said, loud enough for just the two of them to hear. Did he just recite lines from Mina's favorite poem? How he even knew, she had no idea. Mina couldn't believe what she just heard. She turned to face him again, her sapphire gaze glued to his. There really was no use trying to resist his charms. He had her at Rumi.

"I'm Mina." She said, holding her gaze steadily with his.

"Vlad." He said huskily. The dark one gently took hold of her hand and lifted her fingers to his lips for a gallant kiss. In silence, they turned away from the busy market place in the midst of London's hustle and bustle and walked back to Mina's place. Finally, with another chaste kiss to Mina's hand and a devilish smile, Vlad left Mina in front of her house while she stared at his back as he slowly disappeared from her sight.

"Vlad." His name came out as a whisper from Mina's lips, and with it, the promise of another chance meeting with her dark one.

She couldn't sleep.

Mina tossed and turned on her queen-size bed, feeling helpless and at the same time annoyed that it was taking so long for her to fall asleep. Finally giving up the fight, she kicked the covers and yanked her robe draped on the edge of her bed. She padded across her bedroom and stood in front of the large French window before giving it a gentle push. The cool evening breeze sent the flimsy white curtains billowing at her feet, and all of a sudden, she was filled with a gentle calm. Just what she needed on a cool and magical evening such as this one.

She leaned her arms on the railings of her bedroom window, inhaled the wonderful fragrance of the jasmine that grew quietly on the corner of her small bedroom terrace, and gave out a sigh. She knew for a fact that there was more to her fitful sleep than just overdoing the caffeine; she blamed the dark handsome one for her discomfort.

Why did he have to be so handsome? So gallant? So mysterious? Despite her lack of experience when it comes to men and matters of the heart, she knew in her heart and in her gut that during this afternoon's chance meeting with Vlad, they immediately made a connection. Sure, he was too handsome for his own good—too charming, even. Of course, she wouldn't admit that to him—but of course, she had to be logical. What were the odds that they would be able to see each other again, even if they knew each other's names? Hoping for something more than a chance meeting with him was simply pushing her luck too far. Still, if only…

Mina sighed and shook her head vigorously.

"Stop it, Mina. Stop it!" She told herself as she backed away from the railings. And yet, she found herself smiling once again, because she remembered something about him that made him utterly irresistible in her eyes.

"He recited poetry." _My kind of guy_. She told herself. As an English teacher, nothing could shake her core except for poetry and literature. And blood roses, too.

Gently plucking a blossom from her jasmine bush, she slowly brought the blossom to her nostrils and inhaled the sweet fragrance. Part of her was now convinced that what happened between Vlad and her was no chance meeting. She sensed that somehow, it was the celestial workings of fate and destiny that brought them together. Perhaps…

It was Mina's last thought before she went back inside her bedroom, leaving the windows open and the breeze to cool her bedroom tonight. The faint trace of jasmine in the air made her sleepy as she lay underneath the covers. She let her thoughts drift to her dark one before sleep finally enveloped her in its warm embrace.

Of course, Mina was unaware that right across her apartment, clothed in darkness, with the moonbeams lighting his path, the dark one was perched on one of the boughs of an ancient oak, watching over her, guarding her, waiting for her to fall asleep so he could whisper her name.

He finally found her. After years of enduring the pain of losing Mirena, his wife, he was once again given the strength to live and tolerate eternity because he found her. In this lifetime, though, they call her Mina. Still, he knew it was Mirena living inside her. How else would she be able to recognize the beautiful excerpt from their wedding vows?

As he watched her earlier this evening, looking up at the stars, surrounded by billowy curtains and jasmine blossoms, he knew that she was thinking about him, just as he was thinking about her.

He made a silent vow that he will make her fall in love with him, to stoke the fires of their love once more, to continue where they left off six hundred years ago. And he would protect her as eternity permits. Vlad smiled. It was a sound plan.

"Mina." Her name was a sweet whisper from Vlad's lips, a promise of yearning, protection, and perhaps even love.

_Mine. _


	2. Roses are Red

CHAPTER 2: Roses are Red

Mina Murray was having a dreadful Saturday afternoon. The heavy downpour was not helping her mood improve since she found it difficult to clean every single corner of her flat because of the rain. It made her cranky, not to mention sluggish. She abhorred the feeling.

Taking a huge gulp from her mug of warm chamomile tea, Mina scanned the first chapter of Jane Austen's Persuasion, somehow realizing that it was a promising read on this rainy afternoon. She had abandoned the broom—with it, the possibility of doing chores—and settled for an afternoon with Jane Austen instead. Her flat seemed clean since she constantly tidied things up, and she thought that the sweeping could wait another day. Mina sat down on the far end of the couch, lifted her feet and tucked them under her legs. Five minutes later and unmindful of her impressive speed in turning the pages of the book, Mina was thoroughly immersed in the world that Jane Austen built. Every now and then, Mina would stop to sip her tea, taking pleasure in the quiet solitude that her book and the rain gave her.

She was brought back to reality by the ring of the doorbell. She sighed heavily, silently cursing the person who dared disturb her stolen moment of peace and quiet. She rose from the couch and twisted the doorknob. There was no one there. Mina looked to the left, and then to the right, but there was no one in sight. Perplexed, she looked down and was surprised when she saw twenty-three long stemmed blood roses arranged in an intricate bouquet. The rain drops managed to trickle their way into the velvet petals of the flowers, making them more breathtaking in Mina's eyes. She lifted the bouquet and cradled the flowers in her arms.

Who would even think of giving me these? She asked in silence as she traced a delicate finger along the petals of one of the rose buds. She searched for a card tucked perhaps in the spaces in the bouquet and smiled when she found what she was looking for. She was taken aback by the words written on the card. The words were written in bold strokes that Mina found to be rather impressive.

_These are for you, milady. Although, you are FAR MORE beautiful than these flowers._

_Vlad._

Biting her lower lip as if to keep her joy at bay, Mina brought the flowers closer to her nostrils and inhaled the sweet, heady scent. Her dark one. Of course it was him. Still, she didn't know him well enough to figure out that he would actually send her these flowers.

"He could've given these to me personally. That would've been more romantic." Mina mumbled, slightly disappointed that Vlad wasn't there to give her the flowers himself. And then, she noticed something odd about the flowers. There were only twenty-three of them. Twenty-three? Did the delivery man lose a stem from the bouquet?

"I believe you're looking for this?" Mina was so consumed by her thoughts that she didn't notice Vlad slowly climbing the steps. Grinning devilishly at Mina, he stopped a few inches away from her, with one single long-stemmed red rose in his hand.

Mina smiled sweetly at him and shook her head. That rose he held in his hand completed the bouquet. He brought her flowers after all. She took the rose from him and focused her gaze at him.

"Do you always do this for the women you meet?" Vlad shook his head, flashing Mina another devilish smile that knocked the air out of her lungs.

"Only to the woman I met at the marketplace three days ago." _And to my wife. But you and Mirena are one and the same._

Mina raised one elegant eyebrow. She couldn't seem to stop smiling at him.

"You're being your charming self again."

"And is my charm working, Miss-?"

"Murray. Remarkably well, if I may say so. And you're not even trying." Vlad chuckled and focused his gaze on Mina once more.

"I see. Miss Murray, if I may be blunt with you, will you do me the honor of having dinner with me tomorrow night? In all honesty, I find that our meeting three days ago made me look forward to spending more time with you." Vlad said, his husky voice melting through Mina's veins. Deep inside, he, too, was anxious for an answer. He hoped that it would be an answer that would be pleasing for them both.

Mina continued to stare at him, as if she was studying his handsome rugged features. Just giving him the words would not suffice. Mustering up the courage, she stood on tiptoe and brushed a kiss on Vlad's left cheek, leaving her dark one surprised by her boldness.

"Certainly. Dinner tomorrow night. I'll be ready by seven." Regaining his composure and understanding the meaning of Mina's words, Vlad grinned at Mina, took hold of her hand and placed a chaste kiss on it.

"I look forward to spending time with you tomorrow night, my beauty." And with that, Vlad descended the steps and walked to the other side of the street.

"Yes. Tomorrow night. My dark one." Mina smiled and went back inside. She closed the door behind her and leaned on it for a couple of minutes, savoring who and what happened at her doorstep this afternoon. Tomorrow night, she will have dinner with Vlad. She still couldn't believe it, but she had her proof in her arms, and she seemed to be crushing the flowers out of excitement. She certainly needed to prepare for tomorrow night, and she would prepare well, of course.

Making her way to the kitchen to get a vase for the flowers, Mina couldn't stop smiling at Vlad's thoughtfulness. He got her blood roses. No one has ever thought about giving her two dozen blood roses. Except Vlad.

Mina bit her lip once more to contain her joy. He managed to make her smile on this gloomy afternoon, and he wasn't even trying. The man was too damn charming.

Mina was impressed with her dark one.


	3. Conventions and Complications

CHAPTER 3: _Conventions and Complications _

Vlad was feeling restless. It was rather unnatural for him to feel like this, but he had a very good reason for feeling anxious tonight.

He will be going out on a date with Mina.

The thought made him smile. Yesterday's surprise definitely pleased his beautiful love. When he saw her light up at the sight of the flowers and the realization that they came from him, he couldn't stop his immortal heart from skipping a beat. He knew in his heart that wooing Mina woould be an easy task. He wasn't being arrogant about it. He just knew that destiny found a way to reunite them, and he will do everything in his power to rekindle the love that they had for each other.

Starting tonight.

Vlad leaned closer to the mirror to inspect his work and grinned with satisfaction at his freshly shaven jaw. His bared his sharp fangs instinctively and winced at the sight of it.

After centuries of immortality, he still couldn't help but be appalled by the way he lived his life—preying on innocent victims for their blood and living to tell his tale of horror and survival. He thought it was ironic how destiny managed to turn his life around. Still, he was pleased with how his destiny was now trying to make amends for the years and centuries that he lived his life with his one true love.

He knew that Mina Murray was Mirena's reincarnated self and no one else. If he played his cards right, he knew that he would win her heart immediately. He was confident in his ability to woo her, because the moment he set his sights on her, he knew of nothing else.

With a sigh, Vlad took his coat from the closet and wore it. All of a sudden, he felt strange. All of a sudden, his mouth and his throat felt as if sandpaper was being rubbed on them.

It was the Thirst.

Vlad glanced at the ancient grandfather clock on the other side of his bedroom. 6:50 PM. It was too early for him to feed, and yet he felt the Thirst for blood getting stronger each second. He writhed in discomfort—he could feel the sharp edges of his fangs against the sensitive flesh of his lower lip, and his veins burned. He rushed to the window and struggled irritably with the heavy curtains. Only the master bedroom of his town house had the largest windows, but they were also thoroughly draped with curtains to shield him from the sunlight.

Once he was able to let himself out through the windows, he leaped stealthily from the second floor of the town house into the empty street. He rose and eyeing the lamp post, managed to put its light out just by looking at it. After years of practice, he was able to control his powers, but sadly, not the Thirst. It was still the Thirst that ruled his life, and he knew that the only time it will leave him is if he was already dead or dying.

Trying to keep a straight face, to compose himself despite the pain and discomfort, he walked along the street, eyeing his next victim but bothered by the possibility that Mina was already dressed and waiting for him. From his corner of his eye, he noticed a small ruckus occurring in one of the dark alleys several minutes away from his town house. Using his sharp sense of hearing, he heard a lady crying out for help because she was being mugged by some scruffy-looking stranger who incited fear in her by pointing a knife at her. This lowly thief was the perfect target.

He hissed and quickened his steps. He cursed the Thirst for ruling his evenings, his life.

He cursed himself for making his beautiful love wait on their first date.

_A couple of hours later…_

Mina glared furiously at the fireplace, watched the flames dancing playfully as she sipped her white wine. She glanced at her watch and rolled her eyes irritably. 8:29 PM. Her date was late. Way too late. And not even a word from him. Yesterday, she sensed that she wasn't the only one who was excited about the idea of having dinner together. Now, it puzzled her that Vlad didn't come after waiting for him for two hours.

"He's leaving a very bad impression on our first date." She mumbled irritably. Not being able to control her anger, Mina rose from the couch and went upstairs to change into her jeans and shirt. She wiped all traces of make up and lipstick from her face and her lips and wore her favorite pink headband to draw her hair away from her face.

Mina went downstairs and resumed scrubbing the tiles on her kitchen counter.

"I should've done this yesterday, but nooo- he in all his handsomeness had to come and distract me from doing my chores. He had roses. Roses!" She spat, her chest rising and falling out of sheer frustration.

"And what was that grin all about? What does he take me for? I! Am not some brainless twit who would easily give in to a stranger's charm! Just because he's handsome as the devil doesn't mean he can do this to me on our first date!" Mina blurted out, with so much anger that she almost broke one of the tiles.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, which startled Mina. She glanced at the door's direction, overcome with the thought that Vlad was the person on the other side of it. She rinsed her hands and wiped them using the kitchen towel. She padded across the living room and stood in front of the door. She was still annoyed at him, but part of her was very excited and eager to see him. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

She was right.

It was Vlad, but instead of the blood roses that he gave her as offering yesterday, he had a bunch of delicate pink tulips in his hand. And a smile on his face that was meant to disarm and ease away Mina's anger towards him.

Mina simply stood there, glaring at him. And yet, she could feel her insides turning to mush.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I thought you wouldn't bother coming anymore. After all, you made me wait for a couple of hours." Mina said, the sarcasm in her voice was quite palpable.

"Mina, I know that my tardiness during our first date should be taken against me, but please believe that I had no intention of making you wait. I simply had a personal matter to see to, and it took a long time for me to settle it."

Mina simply stared at him. She sensed the sincerity in his explanation, but she knew that she shouldn't give in to him easily. He must work hard to win her affections.

"You should've told me. A simple text message would have sufficed."

Vlad nodded.

"I know. Unfortunately, milady, I do not own a cellphone or any other gadget that would make communicating with you much easier. The only explanation I can give you for being late is that I had a personal emergency," Vlad took hold of Mina's right hand and held it to his lips. He then gestured for Mina to take the tulips as a peace offering.

"Please, Mina." For the first time in centuries, Vlad once again found himself asking a woman for forgiveness for a small inconsistency that he had caused. He would always ask Mirena for forgiveness, she would always end up forgiving him, and he would end up kissing her senseless out of sheer joy.

Now, he was asking Mina for forgiveness. And just like his Mirena, Mina wasn't easily swayed by the soft words. She wanted and needed sincerity and honesty.

He adored that about her.

Vlad heaved an inward sigh of relief when Mina took the flowers from his hand, not once removing her stern gaze from his.

"If you say so. But, the next time you do this, you will no longer find me waiting and opening the door for you." Mina sniffed and raised her chin as high as her neck would permit. Vlad was vastly amused but simply nodded his head in agreement. All of a sudden, he heard a strange sound coming from Mina's stomach. It was her stomach grumbling. He also noticed that color was rapidly rising to her cheeks. His beautiful and merciful love was famished. And embarrassed by the sound her tummy has just made. Vlad was careful not to laugh at the thought. He knew better, of course.

"Now, look what you've done. I'm hungry as a horse. This is all your fault." Mina grumbled. Vlad grinned at her and brought her hand to his lips for another chaste kiss.

"I think I can fix that. Besides, if you will permit, we can still have dinner. The night is young." Vlad told her, his voice husky and inviting. Mina found herself mesmerized once more that all she could do was nod her head.

"I'm not up for fancy meals tonight, though. I know a good fish and chips place a few blocks from here. You can bring me there."

_My beautiful love knows what she wants. A strong woman. My strong woman. _

Vlad nodded and grinned when Mina smiled back at him and told him to give her a few minutes to put the flowers in a vase and to get her coat. When he turned around, Mina was locking the door behind her. She looked up at him and gently took hold of his arm. Vlad winked at her and helped her down the steps.

"Come, milady. Let's have dinner."


End file.
